There are various contraceptives available today, but condoms are the most highly recommended prophylactic. The Surgeon General, various public health organizations, colleges and high schools recommend the use of condoms and even advocate free distribution to some degree as a remedy to the current spread of AIDS and venereal disease. However, there is some embarrassment associated with carrying condoms, especially if they fall out of one's wallet, pocket or purse at an inopportune time (as depicted on at least one episode of virtually every television sit-com in the last five years, or in the movie “Broadcast News” when purses had to be inspected by the Secret Service to gain entrance to an embassy party). There has been a long-felt need for a small, sealable pouch in which one or more foil-sealed condoms could be carried or stored to not only protect them against abrasion, but alleviate the anxiety that a condom might be evidenced under most embarrassing circumstances, thereby removing the reason that they are not handy when needed. Such pouch with one condom should be small enough to place in a wallet without adding much bulk, but flexible enough to contain multiple condoms for carrying or storing elsewhere. It should have a releasable, secure, flexible closure. While the primary utility of the pouch is to facilitate carrying condoms on the person, there has also been a long-felt need for such a product in which to store condoms in an automobile or a suitcase or discreetly within reach from one's bed.
Although substantially impermeable to air and moisture, the materials used to package individual condoms are generally thin and lightweight, and the packages must be adapted to be opened by the application of light-to-moderate manual force. Because of this fact, such packages are also susceptible to tearing or puncturing when placed in contact with other articles, such as might occur, for example, when individually packaged condoms are carried or maintained in a pocket, wallet, purse, glove compartment, desk drawer, or the like. Such tearing or puncturing may not be readily apparent to the user, but may be sufficient to permit contamination or degradation of the condom prior to use, or even failure of the condom during use at a subsequent time. One may also lose confidence in the reliability of a condom that has been carried for some time due to the worn or tattered appearance of the package in which it is wrapped, resulting in further anxiety and/or greater potential risk in the event of sexual contact.
The foregoing problems have deterred the effective utilization of condoms in the past, much to the detriment of the general public health. To obviate these problems, means are needed that can hold a single individually packaged condom, or a relatively small number of individually packaged condoms, that will protect the individually packaged condoms prior to use, and that will conceal individually packaged condoms to alleviate embarrassment to an individual carrying the condoms, or to a bystander.